Lawmaker launches micro-credit loans

There is something to cheer among the Yagba people of Kogi State. Hon. Sunday Karimi who represents them at the House of Representatives has launched his jobs scheme called Yagba People Empowerment Initiative (YAPEIN).

It thrilled hundreds of beneficiaries of the micro-credit loan facility.

The lawmaker said he floated the scheme to assist low-income business entrepreneurs and start-up access to revolving soft loans to develop or grow their businesses.

On the occasion held at the Town Hall, Isanlu, Yagba East Local Council, Kogi State, each of 112 Cooperative Societies representing 1,120 soft loan beneficiaries in Mopamuro, Yagba East and Yagba West local Government Areas received their cheques for N200,000 per group.

Shedding more light on the programme, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of YAPEIN, Otunba Funsho Ibrahim, who is also the Chairman of Yagba East Local Government Council, said the initiative was aimed at empowering the-people at the grass roots level to create economics clusters for wealth creation thereby reducing unemployment.

Ibrahim said 4,400 people applied for the micro-credit soft loans out of which 112 groups representing 1,120 individuals benefited from the first phase. He said the second phase is billed for January 2015.

Hon Karimi said the success of the pilot scheme has dispelled the rumour making the rounds that YAPEIN was not real or a ploy to deceive the people of the area.

“I want to empower my people and make them happy. As you can see, the Yagba People Empowerment Initiative programme is real.”

He added, “Yagba People Empowerment Initiative has the sole purpose of economically empowering the resident indigenes of Yagba, improving their standard of Living and increasing the financial output of Yagbaland. This initiative is borne out of the realisation of the fact that the resident natives of Yagbaland are also adversely affected by the high level of Poverty prevalent in Nigeria. My passion for qualitative representation of Yagbaland in the National Assembly includes taking steps and initiatives to alleviate the poverty of the people back at home. If extreme poverty is to be eradicated and become a thing of the past, dashing out paltry or meagre sums of money upon calls from the people cannot be a permanent solution to poverty, (if it is a solution at all). This is because for poverty to be effectively attacked, the causes of poverty need be addressed. The causes of poverty include unemployment, lack of capital for small businesses and handcrafts, idleness, non-performance of the real sector and death of small scale businesses in Nigeria.

The launch witnessed the donation of eight Pathfinder Sports Utility Vans (SUVs) to traditional rulers in the constituency, three buses to the Peoples Democratic Party executives in the three local governments comprising Yagba Federal Constituency, while 80 motorcycles and 20 deep freezing refrigerators were also shared among youths and women respectively.

Karimi disclosed that out of the N200m target, he had lodged an initial sum of N34 million with the banks, representing the number of the electoral wards in the constituency, at N1m each.

Governor Idris Wada who was present at the ceremony inaugurated the trustees.

In April 2014, Hon Karimi added 13 more cars to various beneficiaries. It was on occasion of the 2014 Isanlu Day celebration. The empowerment items said to be worth over N10 million included nine Golf cars and four Ford space buses, all given out to new beneficiaries in addition to those distributed in December 2013.

Hon. Karimi also pointed out that the initiative, launched in 2013, would soon take off, noting that the administrative staff to run the programme had already been recruited. He added that forms were available for collection at various designated points in the three LGAs.

A beneficiary, Gbenga Bello, a commercial motorcyclist, from Okedisin, Egbe, Yagba West Council, who got N20,000, the little support from YAPEIN has helped him in his business in many ways.

“I have a monthly contribution of N5,000. I can now effectively pay for two months upfront, which means I am covered for the rest of the year. I still have N10,000 left to fuel and maintain my motorcycle. It has brought me a relief because I can now plan and focus on other things including domestic needs of my family especially now that the Christmas and New Year season is fast approaching”.

Ileri Oluwa Cooperative Society and Empowerment Cooperative Society which got N200,000 each commended Hon Karimi for the initiative, describing YAPEIN as unprecedented in the area.

The groups who have as members peasants, artisans and junior civil servants assured of judicious use of the facilities.